Roller-skate



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet L M. C. HENLEY.

'ROLLER SKATE'.

No; 819,712. Patented June 9, 1885.

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(No Model.) n 2 Sheets-SheetvZ. M. C. HBNLEY.

ROLLER SKATE.

No. 319,712. Patented June 9, 1885.l

N. PETERS. mwumogmpm, wuhingw. n c

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

MICAJAH C. HENLEY, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

ROLLER-SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 319,712, dated June 9, 1885.

Application filed October 30, 1884. (No model.) Patented in Canada February 10, 4188.7, No. 21,069.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICAJAH C. HENLEY, of Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller Skates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to roller-skates; and it consists in certain improvements upon the construction for which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date August 23, 1881, and numbered 245,950.

In the annexed drawings, Figure I is a perspective view of the complete skate; Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, longitudinal and transverse sections through the truck-frame, showing the spring and compression devices; Fig.l 4, a view of the bearing-plate and screw de-` tached; Figs. 5, 6, and 7, Views illustratinga modication.

The purpose of the present invention is to facilitate the adjustment of the spring or cushion by which the roller-axles and the soleplates are caused to stand normally parallel, and to insurethe retention of the adjusting devices in their proper positions when the skates are in use.

In the drawings, Arepresents the sole-plate of a skate of substantially the same design as in my former skate, referred to above, and which may be furnished with straps, clamps, or other suitable devices for securing it upon the shoe of the wearer.

Near each end there is secured to the under 4 side of the sole-plate A a hanger-frame, B, having two arms, a and b, the inner arm being in each instance longer than the outer one, and each being provided with an eye or perforation, o.

G indicates a truck-frame, consistingvof a central rectangular box or chamber, d, fromv lines in Fig. 3, and directly in line with the.

teat or stud f a hole or perforation, g, is formed in the opposite wall of the chamber d, which is thickened at that point. Theteat or stud f ts the perforation of the outer arm, b,

of the hanger-frame B, and a bolt, F, pressed inward by'aSpring-arm, G, through the perforation of the inner arm, a, of said frame, enters the hole or perforation g of the truckframe, and locks said truck-frame in place, the bolt and the teat or stud thus forming journals, upon which the hangerframe Bmay rock from side to side.

By reason of the difference in length of the arms a and b of the frame B, the axis of the teat or stud. and of the bolt is inclined relatively to the sole-plate A, which stands in a substantially horizontal plane, thus causing the well-known turning action of the truckframes when in use.

Thus far the construction is similar to that of my former skate, with the exception of the box or chamber d of the roller-frame. Within said box or chamber is placed a block of rubber or other elastic cushion, H, slightly smaller than the interior of said chamber, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and above the box or chamber the hanger B is cut out to give room for a compression-screw, l, andabearing-plate, J, which are shown in position in Figs. 1,2, and3, and detached in Fig. 4. rIhev plate J is transversely serrated to cause it to gain afirm hold upon the rubber and prevent the latter from spreading out and bearing against the ends of the box or chamber d where it would interfere more or less with the rocking action of the frame. The screw I is of large diameter, and its threaded stem or shank h is arranged to screw into a hole or socket, i, in the hangerframe Babove the box or chamber d. The lower end of the screw is enlarged to form a boss or disk, j, which is shown of cylindrical form and provided with cavities or perforations 7c, but which may be polygonal to receive a wrench or other tool, or provided with lugs or projections for the same purpose. The boss or disk j is formed witha central stud, Z, which enters a central hole or seat, m, in the plate J, and its lower face is provided with a series of shallow cavities, n, to receive one or more slight projections, o, formed upon the upper face of the plate J, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The number of cavities and projections may be varied and their arrangement may be reversed; but in every case the projections should be made conical or hemispherical, in

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order that they may ride into and out of the cavities with certainty and ease.

The plate J rests directly upon the cushion or spring, and the disk or boss j bears upon the top of the plate J, the plate being retained in proper relative position by the stud Z, hence by turning the screw downward the plate will be caused to press more iirmly upon the cushion H, and to compress it, thereby causing it to offer greater resistance to the rocking motion of frame B upon the stud f and bolt F, the inner Wall of the box or chamber d being raised sufficiently to prevent the turning of the plate with the screw.

VThe elasticity and consequent pressure of cushion H holds the plate .I up firmly against the disk or boss j, which latter is made large to give a wide bearing for and prevent the rocking of the plate, and being thus held up the projections o are held in the cavities a, and thel screw I is thereby prevented from working back and varying the compression of the cushion. The elasticity of the cushion, however, permits the plate to yield and move downward when any considerable force is applied to turn the screw I, which is conveniently done by inserting a wire or rodinto one of the holes k of the boss j and moving it laterally. The beveled or curved faces of the cavities u ride over the projections o and force theplate down, overcoming the resistance of the cushion.

By this construction aud arrangement Iam enabled readilyand accurately to adjust the resistance .of the cushion, the boss j of the screw being accessible from the sides of frame B without previous adjustment of any other part, and, if desiredfwhile the skate is fastened upon the shoe of a skater.

It will be observed that this construction avoids any change in the inclination of the axrs on which the frames B rock, that there is no cutting of the cushion, and that said cushion is prevented from spreadinglaterally to any considerable extent-a difficulty which has heretofore interfered greatly with the variation of resistance of the cushion.

It is important that the threaded stem be made to screw into the frame B, instead of employing a fixed stem and a nutl or disk screwed thereon, as the plan here described presents no obstacle to the free rise of the rubber when the pressure is diminished, besides being cheaper and easier to make and affording greater range of adjustment.

Stop-shoulders p are formed upon one of the arms a or Z1, against which the truck-frame strikesto limit the rocking motion.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 I have shown the box or chamber d as formed with or in the under side of the plate J, the upper face of the truckframe being in such case serrated instead of the plate. W'hen this construction is adopted, the box is provided with slots q q to permit it to pass down over the journals Ff ofthe truckframe, and the journal f is shouldered to limit its passage into the eye c. In all other respects the construction will remain as explained.

It is of course understood that one complete hanger and truck-frame with rollers, cushion, and adjusting devices is placed at each end of the sole-plate, as usual.

Various features and details of construction herein shown and described constitute the subject-matter of a separate application filed as a division of the present case on the 24th day of March, 1885, and such features and details for this reason are not claimed herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a roller-skate, the combination, with the sole-plate, of a hanger-frame, a truck-frame pivotally connected therewith, an elastic cushion supported by the truck-frame, and a compression-screw having an enlarged head bearing upon a plateresting upon the upper face of the cushion, and a threaded stem rising from the upper face of said head and seated in a threaded socket in the hanger-frame above said head, as and for the purpose set forth.

MIGAJAH C. HENLEY. 

